newerauniversefandomcom-20200215-history
Praetorian Courier Service
The Praetorian Courier Service (often simply referred to as Praetorians or the PCS) is a business that specializes in securely transporting items from one place to another, either locally or across interstellar distances, under heavily-armed guard. They are known for their complete reliability, despite their sometimes illegal and ruthless methods. The couriers are usually unaware of what they're transporting, and therefore usually have to dodge customs agents to keep the contents of their cargo secret. The business is headquartered on Jaggen Sever, the only place that would allow them to function as a legal entity. The Praetorians have been involved in several important events, including carrying information vital to Xyril Qeldon's assassination of Caria Selronis in 467. They were also tasked with secretly transporting the leaders of the Bloodtown Massacre from the freighter ''Osiris'' to a secure location where they were given new identities. History The Praetorian Courier Service was founded in 412 by Enoch Resoriu. He recognized the need of persons and organizations to have a dependable way of transporting both messages and items too sensitive to be trusted over cybernet digital transfers. Courier services already existed for such things, of course, but the problem in Resoriu's mind was that the couriers weren't dedicated enough to the message or item's safety. If threatened, couriers would often surrender or put up only a short fight. Resoriu's solution was the Praetorians, messengers better-trained than many of the galaxy's commandos (a fair number of them were, in fact, former military). He advertised them as couriers who would value their charge like they would an emperor's life. The company's name, of course, stems from the Roman Empire, when the Praetorian guard was responsible for the safety of the emperor. Despite the lofty prices they charged, the PCS grew almost exponentially. Within the first year of operation, the Praetorians fought off three attacks on their merchandise: one in a space battle, the other two on land. These battles jump-started the business's reputation to a high level as proof of how far the couriers were willing to go to protect what was entrusted to them. Over the years the PCS only expanded that reputation, and on the rare occasion when a package was lost, they went to extreme lengths to recover it. Eventually even military organizations would utilize the company's services for certain missions. The most famous courier by far was Dmitri Nicodemus, a former Vanguard and the man whose team was tasked to deliver an item to the former emperor of the Terran Imperium in 612. Methods PCS couriers usually work in teams of five, in which one lightly-armed captain is primarily responsible for the item being transported. The other four are usually armed with assault rifles and are responsible for the defense of the captain and the item. Usually at least two members of the team are also qualified combat pilots. A contract begins when a client contacts PCS with details of when, where, and how to meet, and a line of credit is set up. Praetorian headquarters then contacts the courier team nearest to the client, which then meets him as specified. The team supplies the client with a briefcase, box, or even packing crate, and the client packs the item alone, to ensure privacy. The client then seals the container with his handprint and voiceprint, and the captain of the team does the same. A similar procedure is followed when the container is delivered to its recipient. Praetorian teams often fly Khortex Warlocks, Hailstorm Assault Gunboats, or occasionally light freighters. They are known to wear Faláred Battle Armor and carry Gari Arms Kinetic Rifles, although variation is fairly commonplace as well. Costs Hiring the Praetorian Courier Service usually involves what would normally be considered a prohibitive amount of money. Standard pricing includes a base fee of €5,000 for a contract on-planet (transport from one part of a planet to another), €10,000 for an in-system contract, and €20,000 for an interstellar contract. There is then a charge of €2,500 per hour until the package is delivered (half of which goes to the company, half of which goes to the team members). If the package is to be delivered in territory that is consistently violent (for example, the Yucatan Peninsula on Earth or Thrash City on Kany), a surcharge of €10,000 is added. For delivery in an active warzone, a surcharge of €20,000 is added. For contracts anticipated to take longer than a week, the PCS offers a by-day rate of €35,000 per day, rather than the €60,000 usually charged per day if one a team is working by the hour. Such contracts are usually only made when the recipient will be hard to locate or get to. Category:Corporations